Coming Attractions is inspired by The Perpetual Page Turner's Save The Date. Coming Attractions showcases a book that is not released for a while that I've read, and gives you a sneak peek (like a pre-review, if you will) as to what I thought about the book, since I can't post the review until closer to the release date.
Uninvited
Sophie Jordan
Series: Uninvited, #1
Release Date: January 28th, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 4 stars
Word Rating: Fishladders
Reviewed by: Kate
The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.
When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.
Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.
The first in a two-book series, Uninvited tackles intriguing questions about free will, identity, and human nature. Steeped in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's trademark mix of gripping action and breathless romance, this suspenseful tale is perfect for fans of James Patterson, Michelle Hodkin, and Lisa McMann.
I have a confession to make. When I first saw this book's cover, I said (aloud), "Why does her hair look like fishladders?" You know, Fishladders. Like what a fish uses when he's ready to get out of the pool? That's a thing, right? It makes way more sense than DNA. I'm an idiot.
But I really enjoyed this book. Paranormal Romance is my jam, man. There were a few things that didn't quite work for me, but I am solidly on board for book two.
What didn't work:
CHAPTER OPENERS: Jordan used that device that you tend to need in futuristic writing where you don't want to do a lot of annoying infodumps--you know, the fake newspaper articles and letters from one important person to another at the tops of chapters like in Feed--and she did it pretty poorly. The legal wording was particularly cringe-worthy.
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN WOMEN: The main character has an uneasy relationship with her mother, and that's about as good as it gets. Everyone she connects with emotionally (including her older brother, who is great) is a teenage boy. I think this may just be a result of the type of story Jordan is telling here, though, because I've read five of her books and this is the only one with this problem.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY: There is none. My guess is that if became too complicated to tell this story, which I saw as kind of a metaphor for how people who are born with a particular trait--skin color, sexuality, whatever--can be ostracized by society, without the added complication of figuring out a way to work in race in a way that isn't super offensive. But still, having a gorgeous bad boy foster child love interest with blond hair and blue eyes felt like a little bit of a missed opportunity. And in Jordan's defense, she doesn't describe the physical appearance of every single character--just the main ones--so the reader can incorporate her own diversity on a small scale.
What worked:
EVERYTHING ELSE: Literally everything else worked for me. Even the insta-love (on the boy; it takes the girl a lot longer) was not at all a problem because the characters are both gorgeous, intelligent teenagers who are the only gorgeous people in the tiny space they are given to live in. OF COURSE they are immediately obsessed with each other. And the boy is a good, solidly sexy one, guys. I think you're really gonna like him.
I think most readers will really like the book in general (not just the sexy boy) as long as they read it with their romance hats on. Like, as opposed to their science fiction ones. Please throw your science fiction hat into the closet and shut the door completely before you crack open the cover of this novel.
Trigger Warning: Attempted rape, lots of physical violence, and some creepy sexual undertones.
I really cannot wait for this one--glad to hear you liked it! ~Pam
ReplyDeleteI LOVED it.
DeleteNow I am really looking forward to reading this!! Can't wait to see your full review!
ReplyDeleteOh, you're definitely gonna be into this one, Amy.
DeleteThis one's more paranormal romance? (Oops, I guess I'd never read the part with comparison titles - Hodkin, Patterson, and McMann are definitely there...). I've read her other PNRs and somewhat liked them, but admittedly the synopsis for this one turned me off almost from the bat. I hate the deterministic future type of stories. I didn't always, but as I've gotten more into science, I hate any sort of thing that's still harping on old adages that no one really believes anymore. (Well, people involved with studying that, that is. I'm sure there are others elsewhere who might still believe.) But you have peaked my interest with the great character development and romantic interest and ... well... I shall see what your review says, because it might be impossible for me to chuck my science fiction hat at the door o.O.
ReplyDeleteI think that if you can stand to keep away from your science fiction-y brain, you will enjoy this. If you cannot do that, don't bother. I mean, for real. I LOVE hard sci-fi, but I also love romance, and I can have a tough time when the two converge.
DeleteOoh, sounds interesting. I loved the cover when I saw it last month sometime, but wasn't thrilled with the description. The one you've got sounds much better and I'll be adding this to my to-read list!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the warning about the hats, though. I hate reading something that I expect to be one genre that turns out to be another - even if it's a genre I like anyway, I just can't enjoy it.
Yah. This is a romance with some good, solid grit and a smidge of sience-y stuff. But it's a romance for sure.
DeleteI'm actually really surprised by the positive rating! I really like Firelight, but the last two books of that trilogy I kind of hated. So obviously, I was expecting the worst, yet hoping for the best. Hopefully I get approved for my EW request!
ReplyDeleteI didn't love the last two Firelight books, either. They got kind of muddled. The thing I DID like about them is present here, though--the main character is really kind and gives second chances to people who have been absolutely horrible to her. And I think that's kind of important in YA lit.
DeleteJordan is really good at writing romance. I haven't read any of her paranormal romance stuff (she writes those under the pen name Sharie Kohler), but I would assume that it's a lot like this--the paranormal elements are there to feed the romantic ones.
I'm curious as to how the "genes don't lie" thing is addressed. Is that all there is to it? If so, this book would probably annoy me. (Gene expression is more complicated than that.)
ReplyDeleteWell...it's not really addressed. Some of the people with the gene are absolute violent monsters, and some are not. And some of the worst people in the book don't have the murder gene or whatever we're calling it. It FEELS like maybe this is a gene most killers have, but all people who have it aren't killers? There are sociopaths without the gene, and that makes absolutely no sense to me.
DeleteThis type of science-y wience-y stuff goes down better for me if I look at it as a metaphor.
Re warnings, as long as it's on 'attempted' that should be fine for me. Loving the sound of the 'boy' in this one! You've got me looking forward to this!! :-D
ReplyDeleteYep, you're good.
DeleteHe's a really cute boy. I like him A LOT.
Fishladders?! What! :D I'm glad that you enjoyed this though! I've had mixed thoughts about this author's books in the past, but I'm looking forward to reading this. It's a shame that there isn't any cultural diversity though. I always think authors should consider important things like that... Looking forward to your full review!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm a bit mixed on the author, as well. I gave all the firelight books three stars, and her historical romance books (the six I've read) are between three and four stars. I'm planning to branch out to her PNR stuff, which she writes under a pen name, next.
DeleteShe has a New Adult novel coming out in September that's really good--I've found that I really like when writers of traditional Bodice Ripper-style romance novels transition over into more modern stuff, like Sylvia Day's Crossfire series.
And teh cultural diversity thing is a real bummer.
I am so excited for this book! the premise sounds really interesting.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your full review.
I really, really enjoyed it.
DeleteLooking for my romance cap so I'm ready for the release of this-super excited after loving Will in Firelight.
ReplyDeleteOh, this dude is WAY hotter than Will.
Delete